1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a steam evacuation unit for a frankfurter peeler or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Frankfurters are commonly manufactured by placing the desired ingredients in an elongated celluloid or plastic tube (often referred to as the "skin" of the frankfurter). The combination is then processed or cooked and the plastic tube or skin is then removed from the processed frankfurters prior to packaging. Frankfurter peelers have been provided for conditioning and peeling the skin from processed frankfurters. Such frankfurter peelers are well known to those skilled in the art and typically include a peeling unit having a knife or the like for slitting the skin, and a steam conditioning unit for applying steam to the frankfurters before the frankfurters are conveyed to the peeling unit to soften the skin prior to being slit by the knife of the peeling unit, etc.
One problem common to many such frankfurter peelers is that steam from the steam conditioning unit can escape or is exhausted directly from the steam conditioning unit into the atmosphere, i.e., into the room where the frankfurter peeler is located. Such steam creates moisture, high humidity, and, because of the relatively low temperature of the rooms that contain such frankfurters peelers (e.g., typically 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower), condensation, etc.
Thompson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,491, issued Sep. 24, 1991, discloses a steam conditioning unit for a frankfurter peeler that includes an elongated perforate conditioning chamber, and an enlarged imperforate chamber surrounding the perforate conditioning chamber for defining a manifold between the perforate conditioning chamber and the imperforate chamber, a source of steam connected to the manifold for passing into the perforate conditioning chamber for conditioning frankfurters passed therethrough prior to peeling, a jacket surrounding the imperforate chamber for defining an eliminator chamber between the jacket and the imperforate chamber for receiving exhaust steam and condensate from the perforate conditioning chamber, and a source of suction connected to the eliminator chamber for removing exhaust steam and condensate from the eliminator chamber.
A preliminary patentability search conducted in class 99, subclass 483, and class 452, subclasses 30 and 50 produced the following patents which may relate to the present invention: Garey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,995, issued Apr. 11, 1967; Merlis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,412,671, issued Nov. 26, 1968; Koken, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,707, issued Nov. 15, 1983; and Hall et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,649, issued Mar. 10, 1992.
Garey discloses a typical frankfurter peeler including a steam conditioning unit and a peeling unit.
Merlis discloses an apparatus for continuously dry-rendering organic materials comprising offal and the like.
Koken discloses a skinned sausage peeler including a fluid conditioning unit and a peeling unit with an exhaust port associated with the fluid conditioning unit to minimize the escape of the conditioning fluid from the fluid conditioning unit through the sausage inlet port of the fluid conditioning unit.
Hall et al. discloses an apparatus for peeling sausages including a steam conditioning unit and a peeling unit.
Nothing in the known prior art discloses or suggests the present invention. More specifically, nothing in the known prior art discloses or suggests a steam evacuation including, in general, a body having a passageway; the passageway having an inlet end for being coupled to the outlet port of an inlet conveyor and having an outlet end for being coupled to the inlet port of an outlet conveyor; the body having a vacuum port communicating with the passageway for being coupled to a vacuum source for allowing steam to be sucked from the passageway therethrough.